Spontaneity (An Email reprint)

(This is from the spring 2012)

After dropping off Charlotte at day care yesterday, I was in my car waiting at a stop light. To my left, in the turning lane, was a young professional woman with huge earrings. She was looking into the rear view mirror,  soberly checking her makeup. I have no idea what radio station she was listening to, but her mouth flashed into a bright smile when, apparently, a song came on she knew. 

Within seconds she was singing along and dancing practiced, arm moves in her car seat. Her earrings were swinging all over the place. I too had to laugh, and I'm glad she didn't see me watching her dance. That made my drive to work a lot brighter.

Later that evening I was getting ready to grill in our backyard, and "Gold on the Ceiling" by The Black Keys came on my iPod as I was climbing the deck stairs to get the burgers. I have no idea how to get someone's gold on the ceiling, but I had a flashback to that gal at the stop light. It was dark, and we have a high fence, so why not? I stopped my climb and started playing air guitar. Then I gave up the air instrument and returned to the yard to dance to the music for a minute or so. That may be dorky, but it was fun to let loose.

Here's to hoping that you have some spontaneous fun this weekend. 
And that no one catches you in the act.

Link: Gold on the Ceiling

20 Days to Go

"F" is for "Favorite Football Team."

I am sure that Grandma Deb approves.

21 Days to Go

"E" is for "Exercise."

23 Days to Go

The A-Z countdown to summer has begun at Char's school. Today is C for Crazy Hair.

This is the first time Daphne has used colored hair spray. I hope it washes out. Not for Char's sake, but for mine. That stuff got all over my car's headrest...

The View From a Six-Year-Old

Charlotte was very interested in the family camera when she was three, so I bought her a used digital camera from a thrift store. It was a little Sony Cyber-shot, and Char had fun trying to taking pictures. I wrote a blog post about it, "The View From a Three-Year-Old." I'll put a link to that post at the bottom of this one.

It wasn't too long before Charlotte dropped and broke that camera. I knew it would happen, she was only three, but I didn't run out and get her another. I saved the camera's memory card, and forgot about the whole deal for awhile.

I spotted another old Cyber-shot at Goodwill last week, and Char's old memory card fit like a glove. I surprised Charlotte with her "new" camera while we were in Ottumwa visiting Daphne's grandpa on Saturday.

Char and I went on photo hunts while Daphne and Grandpa talked.

Grandpa insists on taking us to the Pizza Ranch for lunch. I'm not going to complain; they have the best Broasted chicken in the area. Here's mom cutting up Char's chicken.

Charlotte thought it was hilarious that she took a picture of Grandpa's toilet. Insert Daphne's, "She's your kid, Brent" comment here.

Char moved onto taking family photos.

Sunday afternoon was beautiful. Despite Char's complaints, we went for a family walk at Saylorville Lake. We parked our car at the visitor's center and walked the bike path. Char brought along her camera.

Char was tired after walking two miles, but we made convinced her to walk the path that lead down to the beach. Charlotte discovered that she really enjoyed climbing over the barrier of rocks.  

I couldn't help myself. I had to take some pictures, too.

Of all the pictures that she took on Sunday, here's my favorite. Nice job with the Rule of Thirds, Char!

So, how long do you think it will take before Charlotte breaks this camera? It might take some time; Daphne thinks Char is doing a pretty good job of keeping the camera's loop around her wrist. I'll keep checking the shelves of Goodwill, just in case.

Here's that link: The View From a Three-Year-Old. Her photography skills have improved quite a bit since then. 

A Souper Idea

I've said it before. You can't predict which Charlotte you will get when school gets out. Will the girl who walks out of the building be Grumpy Charlotte, Happy Charlotte, Jealous Charlotte, Enthusiastic Charlotte, or Embarrassed Charlotte?

There are other Charlottes to be sure, but Lying-On-A-School-Bench-With-A-Coat-On-During-A-Warm-Day-Charlotte wasn't who Daphne expected to meet two weeks ago. One look at this girl was all Daphne needed. This was Sick Charlotte.

Charlotte fell asleep in the car on the way home, and she didn't really get up for the next 40 hours. I stayed home with her on Wednesday and Thursday. Daphne stayed home on Friday. Charlotte had to skip the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt on Saturday morning (we kept the shades pulled so she wouldn't see what she was missing), and we all missed the church service on Sunday.

Unlike past years, I do not have many pictures from Easter week to share. It was the Easter that wasn't.

As far as sick days go, Wednesday was an easy for me. Char slept all day on the couch. Our biggest challenge was monitoring her temperature and moving her every 3o minutes to a cooler spot on the couch. It is like flipping your pillow over and over on a hot summer night.

She was awake for all of Thursday, but the fever had created a drama queen. Every time I left the living room there would be a meltdown. I use the bathroom, and a cat would bite her hand. I walk to the kitchen, and the Internet signal would die. Take three steps down the basement stairs, and she would sneeze all over herself.

The only bright spot was when she asked to eat her chicken soup on the couch. I told her that would be a mess, but she insisted that she had a plan. She had her treat-cup. Instead of Cheerios, we could put soup in there.

I have to admit that she was right. She didn't spill a drop.

Her thumb might be up, but so is her temperature. That is a girl with a fever. I can see it in her eyes.

Put Some (Vanilla) Ice On It

Behold! The power of embarrassment.

We have been taking Charlotte to the skating rink on Wednesday afternoons. That's when Skate North has their dollar special. It's cheap entertainment. None of us are very comfortable on skates, so we rent a "skate mate" for Char to use. Luckily, parents can walk along in street shoes.

Char has been having trouble gaining momentum. We have been trying to get her to push off with her feet at an angle, but she usually just moves her skates forwards and backwards like she is on a Nordic Track.

This week she fell, and she fell hard. Her feet shot out in front of her, and she landed squarely on her tailbone. She and the skate mate were in a tangled mess. After a moment of silence, tears began to flow. 

She wanted to quit skating, but we were past the exit, so we had to finish the loop before getting off the floor. She soldiered on, but as she moved at a snail's pace, she quietly wept. Man, it hurts to watch your child cry.

That's when Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" came booming out of the speakers. I don't know 95 percent of the songs they play at Skate North, but I know that one. And I knew what to do.

As soon as I heard Queen's bass riff, I jumped in front of Char. Facing her, I started dancing backwards and rapping along with Vanilla. 

It should be noted that I'm not good at dancing or rapping.

Her Nordic Track shuffle was forgotten. For the first time Charlotte was charging forward, and her skates were pumpin'. She was aimed at her dad - an embarrassment jumpin’. While I was lightin' up the stage and waxin' a chump like a candle, she was moving faster than we thought she could handle.

Her tears had dried, and her pout had turned into a scowl. She looked deadly. Like a dope melody.

She kept gaining speed, so I kept dancing backwards. I had to make sure I didn't lead her out into the middle where the traffic was bumper to bumper, and the avenue was packed. 

I had to slow down for a moment when three girls holding hands blocked my path. That’s when Char rammed me with her skate mate. She hit the bull’s eye. My kid don’t play. 

She yelled, "Daaad! Stop it!"

Did I stop? No! I just danced by.

Char regained her speed, and I didn’t want to break her stride. So, I kept kickin’ up my juice for another minute. When I finally stopped and let her off the hook, I was rammed by the skate mate again. I just laughed. Char had forgotten her spill. Parental embarrassment trumps sorrow! 

Thank you, Vanilla Ice!

We left the rink and took a break on a bench. Daphne kept telling Charlotte how well she had skated, and it was true. When we went back out, Char's speed and agility improved with every lap. By the time we left, Daphne told Charlotte, "I don't think you even need the skate mate anymore. I think we should try skating without it next time."

I agree. Char’s on a roll, and it's time to go solo.

PS: Our post-skate tradition is to celebrate at Planet Sub. I wouldn't recommend putting Cheetos in your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it was Charlotte's brand new invention.  Link

Blink and You'll Miss It - Part 7

Easter 2011 (nine months old)

Easter 2012

Easter 2013

Easter 2014 (Just a little grumpy about going to church.)

Easter 2015 (Pretty happy about going to church.)

Easter 2016

Easter 2017 - It's irresponsible to take a child with a fever to church, but she can still hunt Easter eggs at home.

Insert the "time flies" cliché here.

Actually, it isn't a cliché; it's a law.

I Want to Cher a Song with You (An email reprint)

This has got to be the strangest song by Cher I have ever heard, and that's saying a lot after listening to hits like "Half Breed" and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves".
What is so weird about it?
- It's a pop song detailing how a Dad is telling his children that he and Mom are getting divorced.
- Cher sings the Dad's part.
- All the tempo changes.  It's like three or four different songs abruptly spliced together. I like to imagine a junior high dance in 1975 where all the kids in the gym awkwardly try to dance to this. "Ouch, Tommy! That's my foot!"
- The end. Someone thought it would be cool to just let all the musicians noodle for thirty seconds during the fade out?  "Let's end the divorce song with a big bang!"
What?

"You Better Sit Down Kids" link


Also, is this really the "best" picture they could find for the cover of the album? If this is not a bootleg, then that is Cher calling her manager to fire the United Artist promotional department.

Action Shots from the Weekend

I haven't taken many pictures since spring break, so I brought the camera to the Science Center on Saturday. 

Here is Char's straw sculpture.

Normally we have zero luck making bubbles, but this time the water to soap ratio was spot on.

At HyVee:
Shepard bread, Shepard bread
You're as big as my head

In case you didn't know it, Sunday was a national holiday.

To celebrate, we visited Gusto Pizza in Johnston for their Peanut Butter and Jelly Calzone. 

Hot peanut buttered action!

We really like Gusto Pizza. I have to respect a company who gives a nod to the old school A-Team.

They also have their own pizza version of March Madness - Road to Best Gusto. 

It was down to the final two, and I chose the Pig Mac.

The Pig Mac was really good, just like our weekend.